SRC-SLL H.B. 1881 75(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 1881
By: Oakley (Madla)
Intergovernmental Relations
5-10-97
Engrossed


DIGEST 

Currently, there are no law enforcement management training provisions for
police chiefs.  In order to provide a police chief with the law
enforcement management skills needed as an administrator, new courses of
initial training and continuing education need to be developed.  This bill
will provide regulations regarding the initial training and continuing
education for police chiefs. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, H.B. 1881 provides regulations regarding the initial training
and continuing education for police chiefs. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is granted to the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement
Management Institute of Texas in SECTION 1 (Section 96.641(e), Education
Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 96D, Education Code, by adding Section 96.641,
as follows: 

Sec.  96.641.  INITIAL TRAINING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR POLICE
CHIEFS.  Requires the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute
of Texas (institute) to establish and offer a program of initial training
and a program of continuing education for police chiefs.  Requires the
curriculum for each program to relate to law enforcement management
issues.  Requires the institute to develop the curriculum for the
programs.  Requires the curriculum to be approved by the Commission on Law
Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (commission).  Sets forth
requirements for initial and continuing training for police chiefs.
Authorizes the institute, by rule, to provide for the waiver of certain
requirements.  Provides that an individual who is subject to the
continuing education requirements of Subsection (b) is exempt from other
continuing education requirements under Section 415.034, Government Code.
Defines "police chief" and "chief." Requires the chief of a municipal
police department to be licensed as a peace officer by the commission no
later than one year after the date that the chief is appointed to the
position of police chief.  Requires the commission to establish
requirements for licensing and for revocation, suspension, cancellation,
or denial of peace officer license for a police chief. Provides that a
police chief who does not comply with this section cannot continue to be
the chief. 

SECTION 2. (a) Effective date: September 1, 1997.

(b) Requires the institute to establish the initial training and
continuing education programs required by Section 96.641, Education Code,
as added by this Act, not later than January 1, 1998. 

(c) Provides that Section 96.641(c), Education Code, as added by this Act,
requiring not fewer than 80 hours of initial training for newly appointed
or elected police chiefs applies only to an individual newly appointed or
elected as police chief on or after January 1, 1999. 

 SECTION 3. Emergency clause.